Catalogue

Summary:

“The Ariel can enchant, as they do in the Quasi minuetto movement of the Brahms, with its nostalgic, Old World melancholy. And their confident unanimity allows them to convey ferocity without ever seeming to break a sweat – listen, say, to how neatly and nimbly they spring through the Bartok’s final pages” – Gramophone

“Fierce, fiery Bartók that engages from the start and Brahms that has real shape and drive” – BBC Music Magazine

The Ariel Quartet, distinguished by its virtuosic playing and impassioned interpretations, makes its debut recording pairing two giants of the string-quartet world, Béla Bartók and Johannes Brahms. Both composers stand as significant pillars of the youthful Quartet’s two-decade-long journey. The Ariel Quartet earned its glowing international reputation early on, having formed in Israel when its members were students in middle school. The Ariel now serves as the Faculty Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music Debut. This release is the first in a projected series pairing the quartets of Bartók and Brahms.

Tracklist:

JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–1897)
Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, Op. 51, No. 2
1. I . Allegro non troppo
2. II. Andante moderato
3. III. Quasi Minuetto, moderato; Allegretto vivace
4. IV. Finale: Allegro non assai

BÉLA BARTOK (1881–1945)
Quartet No. 1, Sz, 40 (Op. 7)
5. I. Lento
6. II. Allegretto Introduzione; Allegro
7. III. Allegro vivace

Total duration: 65:43

Ariel Quartet
Alexandra Kazovsky, Gershon Gerchikov, violins
Jan Grüning, viola | Amit Even-Tov, cello

Recorded December 2-4, 2016, at the American Academy of Arts and Letters, New York City
Produced and engineered by Judith Sherman
Engineering and editing assistant: Jeanne Velonis